The University of Karachi (Urdu: جامعہ كراچى‎) (or KU) is a public university located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It serves an on-campus student population of more than 24,000. According to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan, it is ranked among the top three universities of the country.[2] In 2008 the university entered the THE-QS World University Rankings for the top 500 universities in the world.[3] The University of Karachi holds a unique position in the country's educational system. As a respected research and reaching institution, it is committed to intellectual leadership, and to excellence in both developing knowledge and conveying that knowledge to its students. The University of Karachi meets the commitments to preserve knowledge through its instructional and research programs for higher level education.

History[edit]

The University of Karachi was established through parliament as a Federal University in 1951. In 1962 its status was redefined as a university of the province of Sindh. On 23 October 1950 the Karachi University Act was passed and after an amendment in 1951 it was enacted. For the first two years, the University of Karachi remained as an examination University for the affiliated colleges.[4]

In 1953 it started its teaching and research activities at two faculties of Arts and Science. Opened with an intake of 50 students, the university now has 53 Departments and 20 Research Centers and Institutes, under faculties of Arts, Science, Islamic Studies, Engineering, Law, Pharmacy, Management and Administrative Sciences and Medicine. The enrolment of regular students at the campus is around 28,000. There are about 1000 faculty members and more than 3000 supporting staff. On 18 January 1960 the university was shifted to the new campus on a plot of 1,279 acres (5.18 km2) located on the Country Club Road (now University Road),[5] under the vice-chancellorship of Prof. Dr. Basheer Ahmad Hashmi, 23 June 1957 - 22 June 1961.

Campus[edit]

KU

Location in Karachi

The university campus is spread over 1,279 acres (5.18 km2) of land, situated 12 km away from the city center of Karachi. About four percent of the university's students are foreigners who come from 23 different countries in regions as diverse as Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and Europe. The university has a high standard of teaching, with many professors being well-known scholars and academics of international repute and possessing Ph.D. and D.Sc. degrees from abroad.[6] In a short span of 40 years, the university has risen to acquire a high status in the field of education in Pakistan as well as regionally.

Library[edit]

The Dr. Mahmud Hussain Library is a five-storey structure and houses over 400,000 volumes, some dating back to the 17th century. The library is also home to the personal book collection of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan.[7] Teachers from over 100 affiliated colleges frequent the university, along with scholars from 19 research institutions. A loan and resource sharing system exists with other academic entities in the Karachi area. A digital library enables the scholars and students to access online books and journals. 25 librarians, 10 assistant librarians, and around 90 nonprofessional staff help maintain the library. The building includes six reading rooms for general purposes and six for research.[8]

The central library was established in the year 1952, when the University of Karachi itself came into being. It moved later to the present building constructed in 1964. Previously called the Karachi University Library, it was renamed the Dr. Mahmud Hussain Library by unanimous resolution of the Karachi University Syndicate on 12 April 1976, the first death anniversary of Prof. Dr. Mahmud Hussain Khan.[9] Mahmud Hussain served the university's Vice-Chancellor from 1971 to 1975, and the library was named in recognition of his contribution to the teaching of social sciences in Pakistan. Dr. Hussain was the first professor the university appointed to its faculty of International Relations and History. He introduced library science to Pakistan by instituting the Faculty of Journalism and Library Science at the university. He also actively worked to improve the status and pay scales of the library staff to make them at par with the university's other faculty members.[9]

Karachi University Press[edit]

Karachi University Press publishes university books and other materials.[citation needed]